Behind My Smiles
by shorthairvincie
Summary: About a couple who have problems with their marriage. The Husband Nicholas Tse doesn't understand his wife, he overload himself with work to avoid ever seeing her. His neglected and abandonment caused her to hate him, as well as herself. Life takes twist
1. Chapter 1

Everything had changed with time her smiles, her looks, and even her heart. It was midnight again, and like everyday HE wasn't home. She held the liquor bottle of alcohol up to lips and tilted up to savor the bitter delight that would help her go to sleep every night. Then again she looked straight at the clock as it ticks and turn, twisting her life into a dark slumber. The door in front of her slammed open making her wake up from her nightmare. "Where did you go?" she said emotionless.

He didn't say a word, he just look away and headed to the kitchen and turned on the lights. She followed him wishing he would just look at her and maybe even say just a tiny thing. "Nicholas…" she said again this time with a sad expression.

The smell of alcohol that escaped from her breath irritated him. He shook his head, as he looked at his wife something else crossed his mind. "Why are you acting like this, Charlene?"

"What?" she said, even though she knew what the answer to that question was she acted clueless. "What are you trying to say?"

"Nothing…" He said as he left her once again.

She felt an urge of hatred about to escape from her mouth. How she hated him for abandoning her all these years. She was nothing more then another girl in his life. Even if she tried her best make him happy she knew he wouldn't even make an effort to make her feel the same. She picked up her bottle and drowned her sadness with the bitterness and sharp taste of liquor.

If she could say something to him right now she would how much she hated him. How much she wished he was there for her, how much she missed him. She would tell him all the pain that have been hiding in her heart for the past 5 years. She knew deep in her heart that she have lost apart of herself. Now her last hope of happiness lie in her dreams, a dream where the man that she loved, loved her just as much as she have loved home.


	2. Chapter 2

Nicholas lifted his head and looked straight at the picture hanging from the wall of his office room. It was a picture of him and his Charlene in their wedding day at the chapel. He remembered how beautiful she was wearing her striking white wedding gown. She was like an angel sent down from heaven. Oh how she have changed.

It was as if she was a whole other person. Now she turned into a woman who wouldn't do anything but drink. He didn't know when it happened, or how it have happened but he found himself not even wanting to speak another word to her. He kept avoiding her presents avoid speaking to her. After all these years of her blaming him for his behavior, and arguing with her about everything, he couldn't take it anymore. It seems like the more he tried to explain, the more problems started.

He could hear her crying outside the room. "Why!" she shouted, "Why did you marry me when you don't even love me!"

He too couldn't answer the question. He walked outside the room and kneeled down beside her. "Maybe… we should get a divorce."

She bit her lips together looking at him with rage. "Life isn't that easy. Who do you think I am! Something that you could just throw away!"

"If things were this easy then everything would be okay!" He shouted, "I can't take this anymore! I can't stand being at home, and I can't even stand being next to you! Everyday all you do is drink until you can't anymore, have you ever consider how I feel?"

Charlene gave him a pushed, "And how about you! You were never there for me, not even once. Now we don't even talk, you kept blaming me for what I'm doing wrong, what about you?"

He stood there in front of her not knowing what else to say. "Every day I wait for you to come home. Each night I've cried for you, praying that you could just love me, even just a little. When you need a shoulder to cry on I'm always there. But when were you there for me? You were the one that told me that you would always be there for me no matter what… but where are you now! I'm sick of you! I'm sick of giving everything I have in order to get nothing in return!"

"I'm sorry… I didn't know how much I've hurt you." He turned away looking down to the ground. "If it hurt so much being with me… then maybe you should leave."

She wiped her tears, "Maybe we should…"

Her heart was beginning to beat faster and faster. Her mind began to drift into another world it seemed. She took hold of the glasses in front of her and threw it across the room. Nicholas shook his head and grabbed a hold of her wrist. "Stop it!" he yelled.

"WHY! So I don't destroy your precious HOME!" she struggled to get free.

"That's not the point!" he said as he threw her arm down, "I don't want you to hurt yourself!"

She started hitting him, slapping him across the face. "I hate you!" she said as she sobbed and cried, "I would never forgive you!"

He stood still to take all her taking all he hits. She stopped then looked at him again. She placed a kiss on his face then ran out the door.


	3. Chapter 3

Her mind was like a mess, and her heart was flattering with nothingness. After leaving him she didn't know where to go. She had neither family nor friends. The only person she has was herself. After leaving Hong Kong for the States there was no one left for her. She thought of the possibility if everything was different. If she was back in Hong Kong, and if she still have her friends. She gave up her whole life for this guy, and all she got in return was a broken heart.

She walked toward the park and seated herself on the swings. Where was she heading? How is she going to start over? Not even Charlene herself could answer that question. Tears started pouring out of her eyes, and once again she found herself trying to comfort herself. The skies began to thunder and she knew there was going to be rain.

"Just my luck." She said not even realizing that she have said it out loud.

With the first sight of rain she felt doomed. It was freezing cold and the rain was drifting straight for her. The night was growing darker and darker; in the first time in her life she was scared. She wished Nicholas would run after her and asked her to come back in his life. He never came, and from that moment on she knew that she was just another piece of trash that he wanted gone.

She got up from the swing and headed toward the other side of the road. Her whole body became numb because of the cold and within second she fell back and all that was left was darkness.

As she slowly open her eyes. The light nearly blinded her. The room that she was in was full of light. It was comforting and warm. She was wearing what seemed to be a hospital gown. "Nicholas!" she shouted.

She heard foot steps coming toward the room. "He does care." She thought, "He does care about me."

When the door swing open there was a big smile placed on her face, but that slowly turned into a frown. It wasn't Nicholas after all. In the room was a whole different person. The stranger slowly walked up to her holding what seemed like bag of food. "You woke up…" he said, "You passed out in front of my car. You scared the hell of me. So I took you to the hospital."

She panicked, "W-w-who are you?"

"Uh…my name is Kenny." He said.

Kenny was wearing what seemed to be a plain T-shirt with a pair of baggy blue jeans. Something that she couldn't imagine Nicholas to wear. He held out the bag in front of her. To him he looked like a guy that just graduated high school. "I got you something to eat. I know how bad hospital food is…"

"Thank you…" she said, "But how am I going to repay you."

"Oh, you don't have too. Just… get well." He smiled, the very same smiled that Nicholas have given to her on their first date.

Remembering the memories made her smile. "You remind me of someone." He said, "Someone I used to know a LONG time ago."

She looked into the bag and found a plastic bowl of congee and bottle of orange juice. There was also some chocolate ice cream. "Did you cook this yourself?" she asked.

"I tried my best, but in the end my mom cooked it for me." he laughed again, "Well, I got you the ice cream, that's way better then congee any day."

"I used to love strawberry ice cream; I used to eat it like every day after dinner." she sighed, "But…"

"But you got a big stomach ache and you no longer want to eat it anymore." He laughed, "Right?"

"Not exactly…" she took a bight of the congee, "Taste just like the one my mom used to make."

"Hey, where are you from anyways?" Kenny took a sip from his own coffee cup. "You don't seem like you're from around here."

"Why?" she said, "Is it the way I look?"

"No." he smiled, "I don't know, you don't look like you're familiar with this place."

"To be honest with you, I've lived her for about 7 years, but I don't go anywhere or know anyone."

"Are you serious?" Kenny squirted out his coffee, "I should take you around!"

She looked straight at this stranger, someone who she barely knew. He was even more sincere then her own husband someone who she knew since she was 12 years old. "What's so funny?" she said as she looked at his smiling face.

"I don't know, you are I guessed. So where's your family, the doctor said that you could go back home tomorrow." He let out a little yawn, "I'm getting sleepy."

"I…I don't have family here." She said.

"But you told me that you've been living her for 7 years." He looked shocked.

"I know… I've been having some family problems… I guessed I don't have a home anymore." Charlene looked away from him.

Kenny shook his head, "So where are you going to go? DO you have any friend or some money?"

She shook her head softly, "No…"

He felt pity for her. It seemed like this girl so sweet and beautiful was abandon, her eyes hold a sadness that reminded him of the girl he used to love. He felt like he wanted to hug her and protected her from any harm. He didn't know why he's this way, especially when he barely knew this girl. Her lovely smile made him want to smile also.

"If you don't mind I have an extra room at my house." He said.

She shook her head, "No… you've done too much for me already. I can't…"

He nodded at her and then continued, "Yes, I live with my sister so don't worry you and I won't be… yeah. Just don't worry."

"I don't know how I'm going to repay you." She said. "This is just too big of a favor."

"Just smile." he smiled, "That's repayment enough."

"Kenny… I can't like you." Charlene paused, "I just don't want you to get the wrong idea."

He laughed, "Hey, I'm helping you out of my good heart. So, what's your name?"

"I'm Charlene…" she said not knowing if she should tell him about her husband or anything else about her life.

Kenny knew that she was still hiding a lot from him but he didn't mind. He knew that everyone has a secret that they didn't want anyone else to know. All he knew was that "The Heavens" sent him to help her, and something inside told him that he had too. She was like Kristy, exactly like Kristy… the girl he used to love.


	4. Chapter 4

It has been 2 days since Charlene left. As Nicholas waited for her at home he felt like the world was full of darkness. There were absolutely no light, and now he was the one that's waiting on the sofa, not her. He felt a little bitterness but kept it inside himself. When he looked on the counter there was no food like the other days. "Maybe I did take her for granted…" he told himself.

The truth was he hated waiting. He knew that she have felt the same way. He sat in the exact position that she have sat in for years. He could hear the wind hustling outside, but beside from that the clock is the only thing in the house that seemed to have a mind of its own. Waiting wasn't fun, it was torture. In his heart he felt a little worried for her, and maybe this was how she had felt. As the night grew longer his mind began to flutter. He was thinking of all the possibility, all the things that could happen to her. "Why don't you go and find her then?" He seemed to ask himself.

"Because she left and why should I care if she doesn't? It's not my fault she was acting like a stupid little kid." his ego said trying to convince him to stay back at home.

The house was empty; it felt like a lonely ghost town in those old western movies. Charlene stayed in there every single day until night waiting for him. He finally realized how lonely and alone she must have felt. He was worried about her or was it himself? He hated this feeling of being alone. Wasn't this what he wanted? He looked at the clock as it ticked away into the night. Every second it seemed to remind him of how insensitive he was to his wife. If she was here right now he would tell her sorry, and if she was here right now he would tell her that she was more then just a girl in his life, she was his best friend.

He let out a sigh and looked out the front window again. It was raining really hard. "Where could she go?"

For the first time in his life he wasn't sure if she was going to return to him. After being married for so long every time something happened she would always be there for him. Now when she left he felt like something was missing from his life. But wasn't this what he asked for? For her to be out of his life? For her to have her own path and way?

"You're crazy." He thought to himself, "You don't need her, with her around it would only make you frustrated and mad all the time."

The door bell rang and Nicholas ran straight toward the door. "It got to be her!" he shouted out loud. "Charlene I'm coming…"

As he opened the door it was indeed his wife, but beside her was another guy. She looked up and gave him a sad expression. "I want to get my stuff…" she said, "I'm going to stay with a friend, just give me the divorce papers. I'll sign it right now."

Nicholas felt this angry feeling rushed to his face. "Who's the guy!" he demanded, "Who is he?"

"None of your business…" she said as she entered the house pushing him to the side. She turned back to Kenny, "Wait for me inside, it's raining outside."

"I don't want him in my house!" Nicholas protested, "I don't know who he is."

"This isn't your house! It's our house, and since we are separating I feel like half of it belongs to me…" She continued and pulled Kenny inside, "Make yourself at home."

When she entered the room Nicholas followed her. "Charlene, I…I can't believe you!"

"Excuse me?" She said, "What are you trying to say?"

"You know what I'm trying to say! Trying to make me mad sending some dude into my house!" he shook his head, "We aren't even divorce yet and already you found some other guy."

She took her suit case and packed all her belongings. She looked him straight in the eye, "I'm only taking what's mine, all these other things I don't want. All the jewelries that you have bought for me I would leave behind…" she took off her wedding ring and handed it to him, "Nicholas, I don't need you to live…if one day you find another girl, make sure you don't treat her the way you treat me."

He could see the pain that was still hiding in her eyes. "Do you know how long I've waited here for you, and now all you're going to do is walk out on me!" he shouted, "Don't be so immature!"

"Waited? Don't make me laugh." She shouted back but this time in a disappointed voice, "I've been doing it for years! Why didn't you go out there to find me? If you really cared you would have ran after me to make sure I was okay. It was raining outside, and you knew that I had no money and no where to go! I even f---… Why bother, it's not like you cared."

Charlene walked toward the front door and then out the door with Kenny right behind her. Nicholas rushed up to her, he place his hand on her wrist softly trying to pull her back. "Charlene, you can't leave…"

Kenny gave him a weird look. Nicholas continued and without thinking he said, "If you leave who's going to cook for me. I don't' want a divorce anymore, I don't want anything, I just want you… I love you."

She pushed him away, "No…"

"What do you mean no?" he said in a sad tone, "Please…"

"No! No no no no no! I hate you! If you don't want this to start maybe you shouldn't have done it in the first place! I'm just giving you a taste of your own medicine. You don't love me… you don't even know the real answer. If you loved me, you wouldn't wait until this very moment to tell me this! I've been waiting in the dark for 7 years; ever since setting foot here you had never consider me a wife… All these years it's all about you Nicholas and I have never done something for myself… Now I have the courage to say no… I don't want to be in this kind of relationship anymore."

Charlene ran toward the car. Nicholas was about to follow her but Kenny stopped him. "Get out of my way!" Nicholas shouted, "I need to get my wife back."

"I'm not trying to get between you 2 or anything like that… but I think you should give her some times to think it through. Maybe that's good for the both of you." Kenny shook his head, "I don't want you to get the wrong idea, me and her…. We aren't together, and when she decided that she want to come back, then I would take her home to you. Don't worry."

Nicholas calmed himself down. "Make that a promise. You can't even think about LOVING her in any way, shape, or form. I'm trusting you with my wife, if anything happens to her… I'm going to kill you."

Kenny rolled his eyes. Inside he was thinking how stupid and childish Nicholas was. "At least I'm helping you out buddy." He thought to himself, "Making make stupid promises and threatening me, who the hell do you think you are!"

Kenny shook his head, "Don't threaten me. I hate it when people do that. I would do what I can."

Nicholas gave Kenny a sharp look, "You better not try to do anything stupid buddy… or I swear I'm going to make your life a living hell."

Kenny let out a laugh and headed straight to the car. Nicholas seemed to be like a jealous fool. He knew how hurt Charlene was and he wasn't going to let her get hurt again. Even if he did like her, what's wrong with that? He wasn't killing any one or committing any crimes. Charlene was a gift sent to him from Heaven and he wasn't going to let her go, not like the way Nicholas did.


End file.
